Thanks for this! Our recent testing shows that our DD6 is even higher RL than I thought - 7th grade. I could definitely use some great book recommendations to keep her challenged!

We've read all the books with DD6, but I would LOVE to go more deep with her on them in a few years!

Thanks again, everyone. Eagle, I love the look of that "Words I use When I Write" book to give her a bit of ownership. Korrale, the minutiae that DD6 remembers drives me batty. We will drive past the allergist's office I went to once when she was 2 and she still will remind me that we went, that she liked their fish tank, but then ask again why we never went back. EndOfOrdinary, thank you for your reassurances and ideas. The last thing I want to do is have her give up math altogether. I looked at Beast Academy, but I wasn't sure she was quite ready for it yet. I'm going get the 3A level and let her check it out and see if she wants to try it, but not have it be "required." I also found a cheesy app called Mathopolis that is basically flash cards, but is putting out fires, so it has some flair. She really likes doing the 0s and 1s level, so maybe if I don't push, on her own she will migrate to the areas that she is struggling to recall. When we sat down for math this time, I specifically told her that she could do the problems as she wanted, but she needed to explain to me what she was doing, so that I was sure she wasn't just guessing. That helped a lot, and we didn't sit forever with her staring off into space or making her pencil into an airplane. Thanks again, all. :) Sometimes I just have to have a big public freakout and hope others have some better ideas!

Thanks, all! I think as a starting place I will find a flashcardy app and have her work for about 10 minutes a day, with rewards for mastery, plus introducing some games. That Zeus on the Loose looks like it will be right up her alley. We shall see how that helps after a few weeks. If it doesn't do anything, we may try either TT or MUS again, but I just don't want to spend the money. I am not sure how confident I am trying to teach the Singapore method without the books, but that may be an option in the future as well. Have I mentioned my gifts do NOT lie in the realm of mathematics? :) We also had a discussion today that she told me she was angry I was restricting her use of negative numbers, and therefore was unwilling to try on her problems. For example, she wanted to solve 16-7 by breaking the 16 into 10 and 6, and then subtracting 6-7, and then adding -1 back to the 10. It is the right answer, but it seemed so convoluted and opposite the whole point of regrouping and subtracting from the 10, and I wasn't sure if it would have a negative effect in the future when we get to more complex problems. I ended up calling my math professor friend, and she told me that it was just fine (with a long, mathy answer as to why). So, I guess I won't put so much pressure on her to follow the "plan" if her own seems to make sense to her. MomatHWTK, I think processing is what I am/was worrying about, especially since it seems to pop up with the spelling issues, too. I do typically scribe for her when the point of what we are doing has less to do about spelling, but it's very noticeable when she wants to write a story or some other creation and she asks how to spell "love" for the thousandth time. It makes me wonder where the information is going!

My DD6 is very advanced in reading and LA, and seems to "get" the conceptual parts of math that she isn't supposed to understand at this age, like negative numbers and the number line, and she has a crazy memory for patterns. However, I cannot get her to remember simple addition facts, and she insists on counting up or down no matter how many digits we are doing. We are working right on level for her, just into Singapore 1B, but it is like pulling teeth to get her to do the work. Every single day she cries when I ask her to review using mental math (things like 9+2), and seems to completely forget how to add and subtract anything larger than 1 or 2, much less in the double digits, where we are now. She has similar memory problems with spelling, and while reading at a 5th or higher level, she refuses to write anything on her own unless I spell out every single word for her. It is like she just doesn't remember that information. Anyhow, I have found ANOTHER spelling program to try, but I am just stuck with math. We used MUS primer when she was 3-4 and she flew through it and got bored and only wanted to play with the blocks, so we abandoned that for a mix of Critical Thinking Co's Mathematical Reasoning and Singapore. We have been using Singapore very slowly for the past 2 years because she will literally just sit there, staring off into space, rather than work, and so I just put it aside. She does the CTC pages more easily, but I think there isn't much teaching involved like there is with Singapore, and so I'm not sure how much is really getting through with regard to doing the actual math. There are a lot of other types of mathy things mixed in with CTC. We are at about the same concepts in both books, working on double digit addition and subtraction, but I am stuck. I don't even know what I need to be looking for to try something different, if I should get something like MUS, or if learning everything with the manipulatives all the time will be a hinderance when there are no manipulatives (like on the tests), or if a different workbook-style would work better. I looked at MUS and think that we would start with Beta, and I looked at Teaching Textbooks and think we would start with Grade 3. Does that sound right to anyone who has used these programs? I really like the way Singapore is set up, with the textbook we go through together and then the workbook pages she does on her own, and it seems to make a ton of sense to me, but I just can't get her to work. Another friend mentioned JUMP Math, but it looked like it was laid out in a way that wouldn't be compatible to what we have already done, and that we would need to skip around between both 1st and 2nd grade. Or do I just need to figure out a way to have her practice and hammer at her math facts every day because she is simply stuck not knowing them well? The reason I think it might not be this is because of the spelling issues we have also had. Please help! I really don't want to spend $100 on another math program that might not work, but I am severely frustrated right now.

We are also in a state that does not require testing or reporting (TX), but my DH and I decided it would be helpful to introduce DD6 to the process of taking some tests, and that it is helpful for us (especially as the one giving the tests) to see where she makes mistakes, and what her personal ceilings are. Because of this, I have tested her up a grade level each time. She has taken the ITBS just before K (taking level 6), and then again just before 1st (level 7). These tests are achievement tests which measure what she has already learned as compared to other children in the country. I am actually in the process of giving her the Stanford test, plus the OLSAT, though I am also testing that up because I was only able to get the 2nd grade OLSAT (level C), and we want to see how she would do if we decide to try for the local full-time gifted school. OLSAT is the test they give, and it is a measure of school abilities, which can be correlated to IQ, and potential for learning. It is just to give us an idea. However, for what you are looking for (piece of mind, monitoring progress, choosing curriculum), I really would recommend the DORA and ADAM K-7. They are both adaptive tests that cover a wide range of grade levels, something your child would take online, the results are sent to you just about instantly as they finish, and each is only $15 through the HS-Buyers's Co-op (https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/lets-go-learn-reading/?source=165995) or $20 directly through the Let's Go Learn Company. You could potentially give one of these before the new year, or at the end of each year, or even midway through, and the test system will keep track of progress and show change just for your own child, so it will be easy to analyze. In fact, one of the private schools near us uses these tests after each trimester to track where the kids are throughout the year, and the results are so specific to each kid, instead of the very ambiguous results that most schools get months after their testing periods. I hope this is helpful, and sorry it is so late - I stumbled upon your question when I was looking for an answer to one of my own!

Have you read The Writer's Jungle? It breaks down the program/philosophy very well and talks about stuff like this. It also explains the other portions of the program like Jot it Down (which may not be enough for your son if he is writing paragraphs), Partnership Writing and the other writing programs. HS Buyer's Co-op has it discounted here: https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/brave-writer/?source=165995 With regard to Arrow, it is a monthly literature program that focuses on literary elements as well as key grammar pieces. There is also a writing project idea included. We have only used one Arrow, and I am just starting to figure out Jot it Down so I may not be the best one to answer all your questions, but it seems very complete to me. We add handwriting and spelling, and will add a separate vocabulary in the fall, too. I am not sure what the EPGY class covers or if it would be redundant to some of the Bravewriter stuff, or if it would just be different reinforcement and teaching.

I find I value the details they give more than their "age guidance" because I know my own child. For the example with Divergent, you can click on the "sex" category and it gives very specific details of what happens in the book that earned it the 2-dot rating. I, too, personally think that it is a bit much for a 13 year old, but I generally ignore the age recommendations.

If planning on the computer does not work for her (I really tried to make it work for me, but would get irritated), I plan out everything ahead of time in a physical weekly planner, but use square sticky notes for each lesson. This way they are moveable if something doesn't get done, or more gets done. I also use it as "week 1," "week 2" and so on, rather than planning specific dates for each thing, with potential break weeks every 6-8 or so depending on DH's schedule or holidays. Those break weeks could also be built-in buffers for make-up for days if she isn't able to teach for a few days. I have one giant one that holds all the subjects, but she could even get a cheap one for each subject, and instead of even planning by weeks, just plan out X number of lessons (depending on the curriculum), and then it would be very easy to just do the next.

This is sort-of what I am doing for 1st grade next year, and we have already started some of the schedule (we are doing year-round) so that when 1st grade "starts" it won't be unfamiliar and a big shock. I wrote out how often each week I wanted to do things, and then created a schedule in MS Excel that I broke down into 10 minute increments to figure it all out. We tried AAR1 and AAS1 this past year, but the tiles were too distracting for my DD6, and she made huge jumps in reading so that AAR1 became pointless very quick. However, in my schedule, I had one of them for 20 minutes in the beginning part of the day, and the other for 20 minutes in the later part of the day, so that she did not get burned out. I do the same thing with the two maths we use, 20 minutes of "fun" math in the morning (CTC), and then 30-40 minutes of Singapore later on. History I do 40 minute blocks 2x a week and alternate with Bible, but you could alternate with science. If you do Bible as well, you can add in science on the 5th day or do a small amount each day, etc. It would depend on the program you chose and how you want to lay it all out, etc. DD6 LOVES the history, Bible and science, and though it seems like "a lot" of work for a 1st grader to do them all, those are the ones she wants to do. By breaking everything down into 10 minute increments, you can really allot exactly how much time you need. After a few weeks of the schedule, you will probably be able to adjust to how much time it actually takes, or you can adjust your plans based on how much he gets done in the time period. For example, HWT takes DD6 five minutes, but we do one page per day and I just review the formation. She got all the program instruction last year in her university-model kinder, so just the review is enough. This might not be enough time for you and your son. We also do Song School Spanish first thing in the morning for 20 minutes 4x a week, and that is plenty. I don't know anything about CC memory work or dictation, but we do Bravewriter and it is usually 20 minutes 4x a week and that includes grammar and literature discussions on top of the copywork/modified dictation. So, we end up doing school pretty much all day, from about 8am-2:30pm (including a number of breaks to run around outside and lunch), but the things I would cut out are again the things she really wants to do. She puts up with math to get to the subjects that she thinks are fun. It works for us. How much time do you have to get all this done? Is he your only, or do you have older kids too? Do you want to do M-F or M-R or something different? Again, I don't know anything about CC but I hope this helps to give you some ideas. Also, we don't do read-alouds in the traditional sense. We do read-aloud some stuff during our history time, but most of the literature read-alouds we do as audiobooks in the car on our way to and from extra curricular activities (gymnastics, swimming, piano) and we get in about 45 minutes - 1 hour every day this way. DD6 follows along with the books in the back of the car, and she isn't totally distracted by everything going on in the house. Maybe that is a way you can get in that read-aloud list?

We are using History Odyssey and I would say that it is secular, but only because it is more of a list of resources to get and schedule, along with some maps. Any activities come from separate books that they suggest you get. Level 1 (what we are using - I don't know about the others) uses SOTW as one of the spines to read from, the specifically religious chapters are only mentioned as suggestions for extension within the time periods they belong. It also uses Usborne encyclopedia of the world. I would suggest that you go to the History Odyssey website and download the sample, because it will give you the entire suggested resource list, as well as like the first 10 lessons, so you can see how they are laid out and whether or not it would work for your family.

We had this problem with DD6 at the beginning of this year, which was kindergarten. I attempted to force a very formal style of schooling and she just wasn't ready for it (though if I left things out, she would wander over to them and do them on her own). She would rather sit in timeout for hours on the floor than come do schoolwork. However, for us, it was the change in schedule at home because my DH started to travel extensively. That plus starting school was just too much for her to handle. She was trying to "control" her world to feel safe, and the only thing she could really do was say no. Once we figured out what was triggering things, we backed way off and became "unschoolers" for the majority of the year. We went to lots of museums, spent tons of time listening to audiobooks and working on reading at the library or bookstores. After we got back from a 2 week spring break trip, we started back up with doing a bit more formal work. However, I specifically let her help me organize the schedule we would use. She had also gotten a bit more used to DH traveling so much, so it wasn't as stressful as it had been back in September. So, my question is, could there be anything else triggering the refusal to do school? Can you afford the time to "unschool" or maybe have him pick out some activities from a list or help decide the schedule? It worked for us to help DD6 feel more in control/safe, and her meltdowns stopped. Now she actively asks to do school. In fact, this past week we took our first break since getting back to a more formal schedule and she was asking to do some school activities after only one day!

One solution we have found for us personally to deal with more mature content in the much-loved fantasy books for DD6 is to do them as audiobooks and listen together. We have listened to Wrinkle in Time, and some of Gaiman's books this way. DD6 follows along in the physical books as she is listening instead of just reading them on her own, even though she could. However, doing it this way prevents her from having to tackle major content issues on her own. She can pause the audio whenever she wants to ask questions or have a discussion about what is happening, and I can pause it and make sure she is handling what is going on, remind her that it is a story, ask leading questions, etc. We did The Hobbit this way when she was 4 and she loved it. (Also, Rob Inglis did a much better job at voices than I would have!) We just finished up HP #4 and will be starting #5 next week. We have discussed how the books have changed toward more complex, darker themes with her since the beginning, and she understands that it is leading up to a confrontation with Voldemort. She managed the death of Potter's friend very well, and most of the flirtations between Ron & Hermione go right over her head. We are going to take it slowly, one book at a time, and make sure we spend quite a bit of time in discussion. Anyhow, this is how we "control" things without limiting her. LOTR is definitely on our list for the future!

With regard to the non-fiction books, I would let him read. Some fiction books, however, may deal with situations that you aren't quite ready for him to "experience" (like the poster said about Jurassic Park). Whatever you do, I would make sure that you create a culture where he feels he can ask you questions about things. Maybe if you encourage it (either by trying to get him to read and discuss the difficult books, or offering to read aloud certain portions) he will then be able to ask about things that are confusing and it might be less confrontational than you having to mention he jumped to the wrong conclusion? My DD (6 tomorrow!) has less interest in non-fiction books, but would pick up and read anything we have lying around if we don't supply her with enough of her own content level. We listen to the more mature-themed ones (like Harry Potter right now) on audiobook together and have developed the habit of allowing her to pause whenever she wants to discuss and ask clarification questions. It drove my DH nuts at first (we also do this when viewing movies) but she has gotten very comfortable when she comes across something on her own that she might not completely comprehend and bringing it to me to help her figure it out. We have really struggled to find content-appropriate stuff that she wants to read, as she is very interested in dark fantasy fiction. We have finally found a number of Neil Gaiman works, plus quite a few sci-fi/fantasy graphic novels that she now loves, but it is still tough!

We converted our home office into a schoolroom, but it was a dining room first. We have one wall that is completely a window, and another that is just an opening to the entry way. The third has a door in the middle of it, and pretty much the rest of the space is covered in bookshelves! So, my desk is facing the window, and DD6 has a little desk that sits in the middle of the floor. We have a stand-up white board that is moveable, but is in front of the bookshelves, opposite my desk. She faced that and I just walk around to stand at the whiteboard when I needed to model something or for math, but it is also helpful because I can roll my chair up behind her and hover/help when needed, but I still have my space, too. I am not sure what I will do if we get a bigger room with more wall space!